~Chapter 1~
"I can't believe you got kicked out of America's School of Magic! And right before your last year!" My mother moaned while fixing us both a cup of tea.
I sighed. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"
She smiled slightly, pouring the scorching hot water into the cups. "If you keep saying you're sorry until your children have children. I'll might consider forgiving you" She winked at me. I laughed and took a bite of my mom's famous pound cake. She only made it on special occasions. This time . . . my going away party.
My whole family- by whole family I mean my mom's family- came to our small little ranch farmhouse in Virginia to say goodbye. They wanted one more good look at me before I went all the way to London, England to study magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
My mom, who was a witch like me, sent an owl to the headmaster Albus Dumbledore after she found out I got expelled from my old school. She asked- I call it begging- if he would allow me to study there for my last year. We got an owl back a few days later. I read it myself. Dumbledore said that Hogwarts would be more than happy to have me as a student.
But it also said that I would have to come to his office as soon as I got to the school so that I could be sorted into one of the four houses-Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin-.
All of my bags were packed and waiting in the front hallway. I was supposed to leave very soon. Five minutes to be exact. I saw my mom give the clock an annoyed look.
"Your brother needs to learn how to read a clock" she muttered. "He is always late and you both need to get going!"
I lifted my cup, trying to hide the smirk on my face. "Seth will be here soon"
Just as I spoke there was a loud pop! as my older brother Seth Apparated into the room. He grinned but his smile fell a little when he saw our mother glaring at him.
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You were supposed to be home fifteen minutes ago!" she growled. "You need to take your sister Tessa to-" She glanced at Dumbledore's letter. "- Diagon Alley"
She handed me a long piece of parchment. "These are all the things you'll need Tessa. Just books, parchment, new robes, potion ingredients, things like that. It's a good thing you already have a broomstick and a wand"
Seth chuckled behind me. "Come on Mom. We need to get going"
Mom's cold gray eyes gave him a silencing look. She turned back to me and smiled. "Now Tessa, I want you to have fun but not too much fun and make plenty of friends. And I want you to write-"
"Every week so you know how I'm doing" I finished for her, smiling. "I know Mum"
She smiled. "I'm going to worry about you Tessa. I love you so much. Stay safe at Hogwarts alright?"
"Of course"
I kissed her on the cheek and followed Seth into the living room. The fire was already going with Seth standing next to it with my trunk in his hand.
"Ready?" he smiled at me.
I smiled back. That was the only thing I could do when I was around my brother. He had a special aura about him, it was like magic. It's not because Seth was a wizard. He has a happy personality that rubs off on you.
H reached into a small gray pot and took out a pinch of glittering powder and threw it into the fire. The flames rose higher and turned bright emerald green. Seth tugged my trunk and himself into the fire.
He winked at me and shouted in a loud, clear voice. "Diagon Alley!"
The flames surrounded his body, engulfing him and he disappeared. I grabbed my own pinch of powder and threw it in. I stepped into the fireplace. I waved to my mom who looked like she was about to burst out crying.
Like Seth, I shouted in a loud, clear voice. "Diagon Alley!"
I felt my body spinning, surrounded by green flames. I jumped out of the right fireplace but I tripped over my own feet. I would have landed on my face if Seth hadn't grabbed my elbow. I looked up ready to thank him but the person I was staring at wasn't my brother.s